I just wanted to take the time to wish all of you a very Happy New Year's Eve and New Year's!! I'm going to say it... I'm happy that it's going to be 2015. I want this year to be over with, and to move on and have at least some type of refresh on everything that has happened. I don't mean just in my personal life, but all the shit that has gone down around the world. While this holiday is just another day in the week, I like to think of it as a time to see how I can inspire myself to do better for the next 365 days. I'm over setting specific goals, since I mostly set myself up for disappointment with them. If something is meant to happen, it will happen within time. At this time of year I also like to jot down and list the positive things that have happened within 2014! There may not be a lot this year, but I think I'm okay with that! It's the little things that count, right?!

Started a #FashionFriday series at the end of January to a decent response. It was just me and my camera, but I still enjoyed it. I'm hoping to pick it back up again this year!

Officially became an official graduate after receiving my diploma in the mail. It was a very proud moment for me.

Participated in a competition with DUO Boots where I had to create a day-to-night look with a pair of sandals they gave me. Loved putting this post together, and being able to get a pair of free sandals that I wore pretty much all summer!

As an early birthday present, my sister and mother graciously gifted me my first Kate Spade New York bag! It was a pretty magical day and warrants a mention in this post, haha. :)

Turned 25, and my sister threw together a great party for me! Wore a very special dress from Tatyana Boutique, and felt beautiful the entire night.

Had a HUGE thing for pineapples this summer, and I think it might come back next summer. It's just so much fun, and flamingos too!

I got to see Paul McCartney in August with my whole family! It was a very special time and a great way to bond with my mother. She did bring The Beatles and him into my life, so it was very nice.

Made funfetti cupcakes and showed how to make them with homemade buttercream frosting! So delicious.

A beautiful local boutique called Primrose Park opened up in October and has now become a staple for inspiration! The owner, Jennifer, is such a lovely lady and has traveled around the world to bring it back to Minneapolis. Can you guess where she got the inspiration?

FINALLY got started on my third tattoo in October! I'm absolutely in love with it and I cannot wait to get it colored in. Financially, it's probably going to have to wait until February but it's worth the wait. Thank you, Rockin Tattoos!

Probably the biggest, and most rewarding, part of this year was being able to start working for Mall of America! I was able to check off the last part of my goals for this year with enough time to spare. I'm finally doing something I really love, and it's been the best experience! I've only been there for 2 months, but I've already learned so much. Here's to so much more.

Hosted my first giveaway to kick off my #mostlylisagiftguide series this year. It was such a success and I can't wait to host my next one sometime in 2015.

It's almost that time! Time to get spruced up and fancy for whatever celebrations you're going to be apart of for New Year's Eve! Since I've already shared what outfits I recommend for your bash, here are some beauty tips that will get you in the mood to celebrate. I'm a bit obsessed with sparkle and shine at this time of year, so bear with me that all of the products have some type of shimmer to them. I know I'll be decorating my nails and eyelids with some type of gold or glitter when I start getting ready tomorrow night. Shop all the products below, and let me know what your New Year's Eve festivities are going to be! Hope it's something fun. xoxo

Happy last Monday of 2014, lovelies! Hard to believe we're already here, but don't we say that every year? ;)To start the week off with a 'bang', I figured I'd round-up some of my favorite links that I've seen over the past couple days and weeks.

These Push Pop Confetti makers are ideal for New Year's Eve! I'm loving the different versions seen around the web, and I'm hoping to buy a couple for my celebrations.

One of my favorite illustrators, A Thing Created, is having a Etsy shop sale on cards and prints. Make sure to stock up on holiday cards for next year, or prints to decorate your room. I kind-of need this iPhone case!

Who doesn't love a playlist of all the hit songs of the past year?! It's a nice replay of the tracks you've listened to over and over again.

I do enjoy sparkle, and I try to incorporate it into my beauty routine when doing my eyelids. So finding this tutorial from The Beauty Department was so much fun. Look at all those different looks!

If you've ever seen 'Pride and Prejudice', you'll fall in love with these photos of the grounds where Pemberley was located. Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, England is insanely stunning and massive. It's on my bucket list to visit someday, just to be in awe of it.

I just wanted to take this time to wish every Mostly Lisa reader a very HAPPY HOLIDAYS to you and your families! I truly hope that you can take this time to cherish being with people (or animals, or things) you love, and at least be able to enjoy everything around you. This time of year can be really hard for a lot of people, and I myself haven't really felt that cheerful with the things going on around the world, but the next two days I'm going to try my best to at least feel some love and joy.

As it does with every year, I tend to reflect on what the past year has brought, or taken away, to/from me. I will save that reflection when the end of the year comes, but just know it's been a lot of ups and downs! Again, this blog has been a source of constant happiness and it's the one thing I can rely on. I do enjoy making content for my audience, and I hope you as my audience enjoy what I have to bring to the table. I may not be filled with photography of myself, or be filled with sponsorships, but I like what I post about. It's everything I love about life, what I am inspired + passionate about and everything in between.

So lovely readers, be safe the rest of the week and I hope you enjoy whichever holiday you celebrate! May it be everything you wish for and more! While you're celebrating, why not listen to my Spotify December Playlist in the background? It's not just Christmas-themed either!

December may only just be winding down, but I'm officially obsessed with these Pre-Fall 2015 collections! The colors, the ball gowns, the shimmery fabrics and the perfect accessories! I may be craving fall style already but that doesn't mean these can't be incorporated a little earlier, right? I'm definitely excited to see which celebrities will be wearing these designers during Award season. If I could, I'd wear EVERYTHING in the Pringle of Scotland collection. I mean, EVERYTHING!

(That's my Christmas tree above!!!) It's hard to believe we're now down to 7 days until the big holiday! If you're still in the need of some gift ideas for a particular person in your life, remember to check out all of my gift guides for this year! You can find them here and I hope that the remainder of your shopping is not too stressful!

The purpose of this post though, is all about the holiday outfits that you're going to need to wear when you're invited to different parties the rest of this year! I did a similar post last year, and it was so much fun putting together and such a success sharing with all of you. It's interesting to read that post and see where I was compared to where I am now this year. A lot has changed, but for the better. These outfits below are party-themed, meaning a type of outfit you'd wear to a certain type of party. It's all about how you're feeling this year, and how you want to represent yourself and how you'll feel beautiful for the festive occasion. The fourth outfit is my favorite, and I've had my eye on that SimplyBe skirt for the past month so I'm hoping that I can possibly get it for my NYE's this year. So much fun! What outfit would you be?!

My favorite part of this editorial is just the fantasy and creativity of it. The glorious dresses don't hurt either, especially when they are put against such whimsical backgrounds. As someone who loves fairytales and everything it encompasses, this editorial was a great find for me. I am in love with the first and last images, both of them are just so romantic and remind me of fairytales I read when I was growing up. This kind of photography makes me want to become a model, just to be able to dress up for a couple hours. Here's to a weekend of magical dreams and fantasies.

﻿4 years of pursuing a dream, unleashing my creative side with writing and creating graphics, gaining a new audience everyday and just enjoying putting something out for people to see. My writing has changed over these years, and while I'm not a professional writer, I like to think whatever I type is in my voice. There have been a lot of changes for Mostly Lisa over these past four years, and they've all been good. It's literally the one constant in my life that has not had a negative impact on me, it's always been positive. It's my baby, and I've seen so much growth in this and even in myself personally. I'm so proud to talk about this blog to whoever wants to listen.

I do want to take this time to say thanks to everyone who has left comments, liked my other social media channels and viewed this place over the years. It really does mean a lot to me, and I appreciate the ability to interact with people who do leave comments and actively like my posts. This place does take a lot of time and effort, and sometimes it's hard to come up with new ideas and content that I would enjoy myself. That being said... what would you (my readers) want to see new here on Mostly Lisa? Any weekly edition of something you'd enjoy? I'm thinking of starting something in the New Year that would interact more with my audience. Let me know in the comments, or on other outlets below! Thank you again!I will also be updating my layout with new images and colors, I'm excited to switch it up! Thank you again!

For December's playlist I've opted for a mix of classic holiday songs and current music that I'm enjoying. There really is no story that goes along with how this mix is supposed to play, but just think of it as a mix of how I'm feeling at the moment. Some of these songs are just perfect for this month, and others can go even into the New Year! What are some songs playing on your radio right now? Listen & follow along with me, here!

My last gift guide for this holiday season has to be my favorite one! This one is dedicated to that special girlfriend in your life that holds the title of BFF... Now I believe you can have more than one best friend for life, I myself have a couple, and so there are obviously going to be different tastes and likes that these ladies have. I've rounded up some of the best gifts that you could present to your bestie, and I'm not going to lie I wouldn't mind having some of these under my tree. *HINT, HINT BESTIES!* If you've been following me on Instagram, you might know that I'm now officially obsessed with my local Lush Cosmetics! I've now taken two bath bombs and have -sighed contentedly- both times, so these two options I've picked out are definitely something special to treat her when she needs to take a break. Everything else is just magic in this list, and I also think are great presents to exchange with one another. It's just saying to your BFF, 'I love you, and I get you.' Shop all the links below, and thank you so much for following along while I've put together these gift guides. It's been a blast, and here's to next year being even better! I'd say, you're all my BFFS. xoxoxo

It's officially December, y'all! That means time to decorate, buy presents for people you love and eventually be with people you love. I truly hope you all have a lovely holiday season and that you can be with those special people in your lives.. even if it's just you and your pet. Anyways, today's gift guide is all about those tiny tots that can make even the smallest day a big adventure. Having two little nephews has me on the special hunt for finding something that will mean a lot to both of them, but also helps them either learn or use their creative skills. Using Pinterest for this gift guide was a lot of help because it guided me to find unique gifts from online sites I'd never heard of before. I also had to include a couple ideas from GapKids, since it holds a special place in my retail heart. You can shop all of these items below!! Tomorrow's gift guide is all about the bestie, so let me know below some ideas for your BFF!

Today's gift guide is always the best little surprise you can ask for during the holidays. These items are usually under $50, and can easily be stuffed into your stocking! Obviously, all of these gifts are more budget friendly and sometimes a lot more fun. I like these ideas because since they're so small and more affordable, you can buy more than one item to spoil the person you're shopping for. Stockings are pretty great, and I remember always being so excited to open them Christmas morning while I was growing up. My mom would always put different knick-knacks in ours... I have a lot of Christmas-themed socks because of her. I would have included chocolate in this guide, but I figured that would just be a given when it comes to a stocking stuffer. Shop the links below!

For my second installment of the Mostly Lisa Holiday Gift Guide 2014, I received a great suggestion to focus on the 'Dad Who Hates Christmas' from my friend Sarah C.! This pretty much turned into me finding items for someone who you could potentially call 'The Grinch' during this time of year.... I've been that person, a few of my family members have been that person, and I'm sure this year is going to be no different for a lot of people around the world (understandably..) Buying for men is hard anyways, and so this task of finding gifts that would be unique and fun was a challenge for me. I do think I did quite alright though, what do you guys think?! Shop all of these items below, and let me know what you're buying for that man in your life.

P.S. Don't forget to enter my BaubleBar giveaway! There are 3 days left for you to enter, and I wish you all the luck! Thank you so much to everyone who has participated, I can't wait to see who wins! Expect a nice little package from yours truly, just in time for the holidays.

I'm so excited to kick off the holiday season with something that is very fun and enjoyable for myself, and I hope for my readers. I'm changing up who each gift guide is going to be this year, focusing in on a specific type of person that you can focus on when you go shopping! These group of goodies is for that special woman in your life that is obsessed with all things fashion! She is someone who consistently stays on trend with whatever she purchases, and she can do it on a budget sometimes! While this is one of my more expensive gift guides, there are a few items that can be just extra special for the holiday. Shop all of these items below!

I'm SO VERY EXCITED also to be hosting my first giveaway for Mostly Lisa! See that first item? It's from BaubleBar* and guess what?! It can be yours, if you enter below! I'd love to get some more viewers and participants to my blog, so feel free to share with friends and fellow bloggers. I think this is a great way to start off the holiday season, and you'll get something beautiful to wear to parties that you attend. Enter below! xoxoxo

*Necklace is from my own purchase. Views are my own. No copyright infringement intended.